Extravagant Palaces of Deposed Rulers

The old saying that power corrupts is evident in the palaces and homes of some of the world most imfamous deposed rulers. Their former palatial residences, and the personal items they acquired while their countries heading to economic ruin, range from merely extravagant to supremely gaudy.

February 27, 2014 2:07 PM

Photo: AP

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A woman stands near a sculpture of a horse around President Viktor Yanukovych's Mezhyhirya estate, which was abandoned by security in Kiev, Ukraine. Citizens of the country were able to view first-hand the excesses of their former President. less

A woman stands near a sculpture of a horse around President Viktor Yanukovych's Mezhyhirya estate, which was abandoned by security in Kiev, Ukraine. Citizens of the country were able to view first-hand the ... more

Photo: Jeff J Mitchell

A woman stands near a sculpture of a horse around President Viktor... Photo-5947529.80861 - Houston Chronicle

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A view of a room inside President Viktor Yanukovych's Mezhyhirya estate, which was abandoned by security in Kiev, Ukraine.

A view of a room inside President Viktor Yanukovych's Mezhyhirya estate, which was abandoned by security in Kiev, Ukraine.

Photo: Jeff J Mitchell

A view of a room inside President Viktor Yanukovych's... Photo-5947531.80861 - Houston Chronicle

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One of the most corrupt dictators in recent history was Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos. In 1986 Corazon Aquino and Salvador Laurel were installed as President and Vice-president respectively following the "People Power" revolution which saw the ouster of the Marcoses from 20 years in power. less

One of the most corrupt dictators in recent history was Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos. In 1986 Corazon Aquino and Salvador Laurel were installed as President and Vice-president respectively following ... more

Photo: Alberto Marquez, AP

One of the most corrupt dictators in recent history was Philippines... Photo-5947774.80861 - Houston Chronicle

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Visitors view the bedroom of Imelda Marcos at the Santo Nino shrine in 2004 that was sequestered by the government. When the former first lady built the mansion in 1981 in her hometown Tacloban, it was dubbed by many as the Malacanang presidential palace of the south. The mansion named after religious icon of the Child Jesus stands as a monument to the obscene excesses of the Marcos years when the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos was deposed by a military-backed people power revolt in 1986 after 20 years in power. less

Visitors view the bedroom of Imelda Marcos at the Santo Nino shrine in 2004 that was sequestered by the government. When the former first lady built the mansion in 1981 in her hometown Tacloban, it was dubbed ... more

An estimated 3,000 pairs of shoes belonging to Imelda R. Marcos line up the shelves in the basement of the presidential palace in Manila, which also held hundreds of clothes belonging to the former Philippine first lady. less

An estimated 3,000 pairs of shoes belonging to Imelda R. Marcos line up the shelves in the basement of the presidential palace in Manila, which also held hundreds of clothes belonging to the former Philippine ... more

A U.S. Army soldier relaxes on an armchair, believed to have belonged to Iraq's late dictator, Saddam Hussein, at al-Faw Palace on the western outskirts of Baghdad, Iraq in 2009.

A U.S. Army soldier relaxes on an armchair, believed to have belonged to Iraq's late dictator, Saddam Hussein, at al-Faw Palace on the western outskirts of Baghdad, Iraq in 2009.

Photo: Khalid Mohammed

A U.S. Army soldier relaxes on an armchair, believed to have... Photo-5947527.80861 - Houston Chronicle

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25 years after communism collapsed, the Palace of the Parliament, a gargantuan Stalinist symbol and the most concrete legacy of ex-dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. It remains one of the most controversial projects of Ceausescu's 25-year rule, and it's now a tourist attraction, visited by tens of thousands of Romanians and foreigners every year. less

25 years after communism collapsed, the Palace of the Parliament, a gargantuan Stalinist symbol and the most concrete legacy of ex-dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. It remains one of the most controversial projects ... more

Photo: Vadim Ghirda, AP

25 years after communism collapsed, the Palace of the Parliament, a... Photo-5947633.80861 - Houston Chronicle

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A conference hall inside the Parliament Palace in Bucharest, Romania. Twenty-five years after communism collapsed, the Palace of the Parliament, a gargantuan Stalinist symbol and the most concrete legacy of ex-dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, has emerged as an unlikely pillar of Romania's nascent democracy. less

A conference hall inside the Parliament Palace in Bucharest, Romania. Twenty-five years after communism collapsed, the Palace of the Parliament, a gargantuan Stalinist symbol and the most concrete legacy of ... more

In early 2011 the Arab Spring brought the downfall of several longtime Middle East strongmen rulers. After a 23-year regime Tunisia President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was the first to fall.

In early 2011 the Arab Spring brought the downfall of several longtime Middle East strongmen rulers. After a 23-year regime Tunisia President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was the first to fall.

Photo: Fethi Belaid, AFP/Getty Images

In early 2011 the Arab Spring brought the downfall of several... Photo-5947719.80861 - Houston Chronicle

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Luxury cars that once belonged to ousted Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his family are displayed at an auction in 2012. The former President's luxury items, once owned by the ousted leader and his family, were sold at public auction, in a bid to raise millions of euros for government coffers. less

Luxury cars that once belonged to ousted Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his family are displayed at an auction in 2012. The former President's luxury items, once owned by the ousted leader and ... more

Visitors gather around an Iranian carpet that once belonged to the family of ousted Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali at an auction in the Tunis suburb in 2012. The former President's luxury items, once owned by the ousted leader and
his family, were sold at public auction, in a bid to raise millions of
euros for government coffers. less

Visitors gather around an Iranian carpet that once belonged to the family of ousted Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali at an auction in the Tunis suburb in 2012. The former President's luxury items, ... more

Photo: Fethi Belaid

Visitors gather around an Iranian carpet that once belonged to the... Photo-5948302.80861 - Houston Chronicle

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Another brutal dictator that was overthrown was Mummar Gaddafi of Libya. In this photo, Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) fighters search a room at ousted Libyan leader Mummar Gaddafi's Sirte palace, partly destroyed by NATO air raids in 2011. less

Another brutal dictator that was overthrown was Mummar Gaddafi of Libya. In this photo, Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) fighters search a room at ousted Libyan leader Mummar Gaddafi's Sirte palace, ... more

Gaddafi had a particular love of gold. A Libyan Rebel stands and posed on an ornate mermaid loveseat, a wedding gift made to resemble Aisha Gaddafi, daughter of former Libyan dictator Moammar Gaddafi, while guarding Aisha's home from looters in 2011 in Tripoli, Libya. less

Gaddafi had a particular love of gold. A Libyan Rebel stands and posed on an ornate mermaid loveseat, a wedding gift made to resemble Aisha Gaddafi, daughter of former Libyan dictator Moammar Gaddafi, while ... more

Hitler's famous "Berghof" (mountain house) near Berchtesgaden was perched on a 3,000 Feet high mountainside, it overlooked a lovely valley. Its approaches, along steep winding roads, were guarded by SS Troops. Here the Nazi "Fuehrer" used to week-end with Eva Braun and entertain envoys from countries he plotted to conquer. The luxuriously appointed house contained a huge reception room, equipped with a movie screen and a window 26 Feet wide, from which to enjoy the mountain scenery. Air raid shelters tunneled deep into the mountainside were furnished as living quarters in case of attack. But Hitler wasn't there when the planes finally came. less

Hitler's famous "Berghof" (mountain house) near Berchtesgaden was perched on a 3,000 Feet high mountainside, it overlooked a lovely valley. Its approaches, along steep winding roads, were guarded by SS Troops. ... more

Hitler's famous “Berghof” (mountain house) is only a bomb-ripped, fire-scarred shell near Berchtesgaden, Germany on Dec. 9, 1949. British and American bomber planes hit it in a raid on April 25, 1945, just two weeks before the war ended. Then German SS troops set it afire with explosives just before the French troops captured the place on May 4. Souvenir hunters completed the destruction. They carried away even the marble steps, the oak paneling from the walls, and the tile from Hitler's and Eva Braun's bathrooms. less

Hitler's famous “Berghof” (mountain house) is only a bomb-ripped, fire-scarred shell near Berchtesgaden, Germany on Dec. 9, 1949. British and American bomber planes hit it in a raid on April 25, 1945, just ... more

Sub-saharan Zairian President Mobutu Sese Seko reviews an honour guard as he leaves the presidential palace Saturday May 10, 1997. Besides being know for his signature leopard-skin hat, he ruled Zaire for 32 years, plunging the country into a long economic
crisis marked by state corruption, the embezzlement of funds and
excessive luxuries. less

Sub-saharan Zairian President Mobutu Sese Seko reviews an honour guard as he leaves the presidential palace Saturday May 10, 1997. Besides being know for his signature leopard-skin hat, he ruled Zaire for 32 ... more

A soldier with the rebel Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC) steps across an overgrown fountain in front of one of the late Mobutu Sesse Seko's palaces September 15, 2000 in Gbadolite, Congo. All three of the elaborate palaces in Gbadolite have long been looted. less

A soldier with the rebel Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC) steps across an overgrown fountain in front of one of the late Mobutu Sesse Seko's palaces September 15, 2000 in Gbadolite, Congo. All three ... more

Photo: Tyler Hicks

A soldier with the rebel Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC)... Photo-5947550.80861 - Houston Chronicle

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A child stands in a room of the former palace of late dictator Mobutu Sese Seko, in Gbadolite in 2010. Mobutu built two private residences and an official presidential palace among other buildings in Gbadolite and Kawele. Mobutu came to power in a 1965 coup, five years after the central African nation gained independence from Belgium. less

A child stands in a room of the former palace of late dictator Mobutu Sese Seko, in Gbadolite in 2010. Mobutu built two private residences and an official presidential palace among other buildings in Gbadolite ... more

Photo: Afp, AFP/Getty Images

A child stands in a room of the former palace of late dictator... Photo-5947553.80861 - Houston Chronicle

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Haitian President Jean-Claude Duvalier, son of former dictator Francois Duvalier, delivers a speech in 1976 at the presidential Palace in Port-au-Prince. He lived an extravagant lifestyle while ruling over one of the poorest countries in the world. less

Haitian President Jean-Claude Duvalier, son of former dictator Francois Duvalier, delivers a speech in 1976 at the presidential Palace in Port-au-Prince. He lived an extravagant lifestyle while ruling over one ... more

Photo: Afp, AFP/Getty Images

Haitian President Jean-Claude Duvalier, son of former dictator... Photo-5947551.80861 - Houston Chronicle

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This is an exterior view of the extravagant Presidential Palace, residence of President-for-life Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier in 1980. He was overthrown in 1986.

This is an exterior view of the extravagant Presidential Palace, residence of President-for-life Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier in 1980. He was overthrown in 1986.

Photo: AP

This is an exterior view of the extravagant Presidential Palace,... Photo-5947537.80861 - Houston Chronicle

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The Presidential Palace ended up in ruins after the 2010 Haiti Earthquake. The remains of the Beaux Arts structure were dismantled to build a successor. Some of the surviving pieces of the palace were carried away by hand by local preservationists. less

The Presidential Palace ended up in ruins after the 2010 Haiti Earthquake. The remains of the Beaux Arts structure were dismantled to build a successor. Some of the surviving pieces of the palace were carried ... more

Photo: Dieu Nalio Chery, AP

The Presidential Palace ended up in ruins after the 2010 Haiti... Photo-5947555.80861 - Houston Chronicle